Trolley-switch.



C. P. NAGHOD. TROLLEY SWITCH. urmonlon Hum 0m27.190s.

Patented May 18, 1909.

Wittmann rul. "onlus "nur: um. wuunvnnnf, a. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TROLLEY-SWITCH.

No. 922,024. Y Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 18, 1909. Application led October 27, 1908. Serial No. 469,735.

To all who/ra it may concern: tion, taken ou the line Y-Y, Fig. 1. Fig. Be it known that I, CARL P. Naci-ion, a (l is a transverse sectional view taken on theV citizen of the United States, residin in the line ZWZ, Fig. l, some parts being omitted. city of Philadelphia, county of Piiladel- In the drawing, A is a hanger member ot phia, and State of Pennsylvania, have ina double curve pull-ott or hanger similar to so vented a new and useful Trolley-Switch, of the type commonly used for suspending a which the followin is a speciication. trolley wire or other contact conductor over My invent-ion re ates to a switch or cona tracltway of an electric railway. The tact device whereby, in-an electrical or other hanger member .t terminates in cars r/ railway system, a traveling contact closes a through which extend the bolts Y; which 65 circuit or makes connection between a pair also pass through the eyes c oi' the bolts or or plurality of contacts. pins l which extend into the masses of in- For brevity, I term my invention a trolsulating material e. Each insulator e can ley switch for its most frequent use is in ries a second eye bolt or pin d in the eye c connection with a trolley wire or Contact of which is secured the span or supporting 70 conductor of an electric railway system, the wire extending across the tracliway and suptrolley wheel or contact device bridging or ported by suitable poles or other means. making contact between two or more con- Thus the hanger is supported by but insutacts, one of said contacts being generally lated from a span or other wire extending connected to the trolley Wire 0r Contact conacross the tracliway at substantially right 7 5 ductor. Such a trolley switch is used, for angles to the traeliway. The hanger ment example, in a signaling system, the switch ber A has a. central hub or boss f through being located at any desired point and as the which passes a bolt y having at. its lower trolley wheel or traveling contact passes the end a squared head It, of a thickness substansaine a signal circuit is closed or a conductor tially equal to the diameter of the bolt, and so of the signaling system is brought into comperforated in direction transverse to the munication with the feeder, or trolley wire trackway to permit the passage of a bolt la'. or other contact conductor. The bolt z' extends also through the vertical It is the object of my invention to proflanges or webs ot the longitudinally extendvide such a trolley switch which may be suping light angle irons j and y", forming a 85 ported by or in operative relation with a frame, the head 7L of the bolt g being clamped trolley wire or other contact conductor, the between them. and the bolt t' clamping the contacts being strips of metal extending in blocks 7c, fr of wood or other suitable insuthe direction of the trolley wire or contact lating material, to the angle irons. conductor and so mounted as to be resilient The angle irons y', y" extend throughout 9o or yielding, and so mounted that the trolley the entire, or substantially entire length ol wheel or contact device in its travel leaves the switch, about half of the length being the trolley wire orY other contact conductor, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the switch being and, without shock or jar, rides upon the shown broken oli ashort distance to the longitudinally disposed contacts, bridging right of the line Z-Z, or center of the 95 them, and finally riding oil the contacts switch, the right hand portion not shown without jar or shock on to the trolley wire being similar to the left hand portion about or Contact conductor. to be described, except that the connectors My invention resides in other features and m may be omitted. hereinafter pointed out and claimed. At the leitt end, shown 1n Figs. 1, Q and loe For an illustration of one of the forms my 4, blocks Z, Z, of wood or other suitable 1ninvention may take, reference is to be had to sulating material, are secured by bolts m, in, the accompanying drawing, in which: to the angle irons j, j and a horizontal bolt Figure 1 is a top plan view of the trolley n passes through the blocks Z, Z through switch. Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, both angle irons, and through the block o ot' 105 a part of the hanger or support being shown wood or other insulating material separating in section. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. the vertical webs or flanges of the angle 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view irons. To the right of the block o a short. taken on the line X-X of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is l bolt a passes through and clamps the verti a transverse sectional view, partly in elevacal flanges of the angle irons. lio

Secured to one block by the bolts and p', is a longitudinally extending nieta contact strip g. And by bolts r, r a similar long gitudinail)T extending metal Contact strip a is secured to the other block Z. At. a short distance from the end of the switch, these contact. strips g, s, vwhich have their contact faces inclined to cach other and convergent toward the top, are bent downwardly or inclined as at t, Fig. 2, and then extend horizontally again until near the other end ot' the switch where they bend upwardly to he secured to blocks corresponding to l, l. The contacts y, s are resilient and yield under the pressure ot' the trolley wheel or traveling contact shown at :f in dotted lines, Fig. 3. At the middle of the. switch the contacts g, S normally stand oil" the blocks c, /c a short distance and excessive yielding is prevented by their coming in contact with such blocks, as will be observed in Fig. 6.

T represents the trolley wire or contact conductor with which, at points other than at the trolley switch, the traveling contact or trolley wheel u engages in a well known manner. Approximate one end ol the trolley switch the trolley wire is engaged by the clamp or trolley ear o, held by the bolt ul between whose head and the top flanges of the angle irons j, j intervene washers 10'; and between these washers is clamped a connecting wire ,c whose other end connects with the bolt r and thus makes electrical communication lat-,tween the trolley wire T and the longitudinally extending contact s. To the right, as viewed in Figs. l and 2, of the trolley ear o the wire T is bent upwardly at y, the bent portion being covered with suitable insulating tape or other material, as desired. Then, the wire T extends horizontally again and is supported by a metal stirrup or strap s whose upper ends are secured to the lower end of a threaded pin or bolt .2 passing downwardly between the angle irons j, j', the. pin or bolt z bein drawn upwardly and locked by the nuts s a washer j intervening between them and the top l'langes ot' the angle irons j, j', being preferably secured thereto by rivets or the like. Indeed, the switch may be applied to or associated with the trolley wire T without cutting that wire. The stirrups or straps are placed around the wire T and then the bolt s drawn up by the nuts thus lifting the wire T to the position shown intermediate the ends of the trolley switch, such fastening serving both to draw the trolley wire T out ot' the path of the traveling contact u and atlording a steadying means or support for the switch with regard to the wire T. instead of the straps e the trolley wire T may be held by a bolt underneath it, passing through the vertical llanges of the angle irons j, j. The principal support for the switch is by means of the hanger niembei' A, previously described. The other longitudinally extending contact g is electrically connected with the bolt p which supports it and with the bolt 1) communicates a wire p", which leads to the signaling circuit or apparatus. Y

.'\ssuming the trolley wheel or traveling contact u to be passing from right to left, as viewed in Figs. l and 2, it travels along in contact with the under side of the trolley wire T until it comes under the portions of the contacts y, s bolted to the blocks Z, l. As it advances to the bent-down portions t ol these contact strips the rims or edges of the trolley wheel u engage the flat sides of the contact strips g, s and the trolley rides down as it advances, leaving the wire T and maintaining contact with its edges as it travels along the strips g, During such travel the strips Q, s yield or are resilient, current passing' trom the contact strip s through the trolley wheel u to the Contact y, then out through the signal conductor p for the purposes intended. If the vehicle carrying the trolley wheel `u is at this time consuming power, current will pass directly from the contact a to the trolley wheel u and thence down to the motors or other translating devices. The oppositely inclined Contact faces of the strips 1,4, s center the trolley wheel and prevent its running otl. Thus, it is seen that the trolley wheel, even when traveling at high speed, comes under the switch and without shock or jar leaves the trolley wire T and thence travels along the depressed or lowermost portions of the contacts l, s and in leaving the switch, rides up again upon these strips and, finally, makes contact again with the trolley wire T, and passes onward.

The inclining of the contact surfaces of the strips g, s has an advantage also from the fact that trolley wheels usually vary in thickness and diameter, according to the service required. Thicker wheels will merely ride on the strips at a lower level. Thus local and interurban cars having diflcrent wheels will all operate the switch.

The relatively great distance between the supports for the strips g, s permits the use of relatively thick material tor the strips, insuring long life before wearing out, and yet providing sutlicient resiliency or ilexibility.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that lv have provided a switch in which the traveling contact leaves the contact conductor and travels along the longitudinally extending resilient or yielding contact strips, the transition being without shock or jar; and that the switch is applied without cntting or otherwise disturbing the trolley wire or contact conductor. The tlexihihty or yielding ot' the contact strips insures that the trolley wheel shall not be thrown even @negoce 3 tween supports, and means intermediate said supports tor limiting the detiection ot` said contact strips.

9'. In a device ot the character described, the combination with a longitiulinally extending frame, of a Contact conductor, means upon said frame approximate an end thereoi for receiving said contact conductor. means` l upon said trame for holding said contact l conductor in elevated position, and laterally yielding longitudinally extending contact Strips supported approximate the ends ot' said frame.

l0. In a device ot' the character described, the combination with a. supporting frame, of a contact conductor, means upon said frame for holding said contact` conductor out of the path oli a traveling contact, and laterally yielding longitudinally extendingl Contact strips supported approximate the ends ol'` said frame.

1l. In a device of the character described,

when traveling at high speed. Furthermore, this trolley switchhas nomoving Yparte and does not project below thetrolley wire. Furthermore, it is immaterial whether the vehicle carrying the trolley wheel is consumi ing power or not, inasmuch as the contact between the longitudinally extending strips is made irrespective of whether or not the vehicle is consuming power through the trolley wheel.

That I claim is:

1. In a device-ot the combination with tending trame, of longitudinally extending thercharacter described,

contactl strlps supported approximate their n alY longitudinally exends by said trame and yielding laterally between their supports and insulated from eachother, and means for supporting said l frame; l 2. In a device of the character described,

the combination with al longitudinally extending frame, of means for supporting the same in proximity to af contact conductor, the combination witha` contact conductor, ot and' longitudinally extending contact strips longitudinally extending laterally yielding themselves resilient and laterally yielding contact strips disposed in proximity thereto, supportedlby said frame and insulated from l said contact strips being depressed and said contact conductor eleva ted, whereby a traveling contact leaves said contact conductor and engages said Contact strips.

l2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a longitudinally ex tending frame, ot' an associated Contact conductor, longitudinally extending laterally yielding contact strips, supports therefor at the ends ot said trame, said contact strips being depressed between said supports and said contact conductor elevated between said supports.

13. In a device ot' the character described, the combination with a longitudinally extending frame, of a support therefor inter mediate its ends, longitudinally extending laterally yielding contact strips, supports therefor at the. ends of said trame, an asso ciated contact conductor, and means on said trame for drawing up said contact conductor out of the path ot a traveling contact.

14. The combination with a Contact conductor, ot' a longitudinally extending frame associated therewith, longitudinally extend ing laterally yielding contacts supported by and approximate the ends of said frame, and means on said frame for engaging said contact conductor and associating said Contact strips in operative relation without cuttingl said contact conductor.

l5. The combination with a contact conductor, ot' a` longitudinally extending frame disposed in proximity thereto, longitudinally extending laterally yielding contact strips supported by and approximate the ends oi said frame, an electrical connection between said Contact conductor and contact strip, and an external connection with another ot said contact strips.

each other.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a frame comprising longitudinally extending beam members secured together, of long1tudinally extending contact strips, and supports secured to said frame for supportin said Contact strips, said strips being yiel ing between supports.

Il. In a device of the character described, the combination with a longitudinally extending metal frame, ot' yielding longitudi nally extending contact strips supported by said frame approximate the ends of said frame and insulated from each other.

In andevice of the character described, the combination with a longitudinally extending frame, ot' longitudinally extending contact strips supported at the ends of said frame, said contact strips being depressed between supports.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with a longitudinally extending frarne, of longitudinally extending laterally yielding contact strips supported at the ends ot said frame, the contact faces of said strips being inclined with respect to each other.

7. In a device ot' the character described, the combination with a longitudinally extending frame, of longitudinally extending contact strips supported at the ends of said frame, the contact Jfaces of said strips being inclined with respect to each other, and said strips being depressed between supports.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination with a longitudinally extending frame, of longitudinally extending contact strips supported at the ends of sai frame, said contact strips being yielding be- 1G. In a device of the character described,

I their flanges disposed vertically and horitlie combination with a longitudinally exzontally, of means disposed between said tending traine. ot' longitudinally extending angle irons and extending upwardly to Vforni laterally yielding thereby. said contact strips depressed between the ends of said frame and elevated l at the ends of said traine, and inclined portions joining said elevated and depressedl portions. 1T. In :i device of the character described, the combination With f tending traine, of longitudinally extending l l said angle irons, and longitudinally extending Contact strips secured to said blocks.

20. In a device of the character described, the combination with a longitudinally eX- tending frame, of longitudinally extending laterally yielding contact strips supported at the ends of said frame, the contact faces of said strips being convergent toward the laterall)Y yielding contact strips supported top.

thereby, said Contact strips being depressed between the ends of said traine and elevated 1 at the ends of said frame,

joining said elevated and depressed portions,

il the combination with a longitudinally exand an associated contact conductor, said tending traine, of longitudinally extending contact strips convergent toward the top secured thereto approximate the ends thereof and yielding laterally between supports, said contact strips being depressed between the ends of said frame and elevated approximate the ends of said frame, and inclined portions joining said elevated and depressed portions.

inclined portions contact conductor being elevated intermediate said inclined portions of said contact strips.

1S. In a device of the character described, the combination with longitudinally extending support, of blocks of insulating material secured thereto at the ends thereof, and lonl In testimony whereof I have hereunto afgitudinally extending contact strips secured fixed my signature in the presence of the tivo subscribing Witnesses.

to said blocks and yielding between sup- CARL P. NACHOD.

l ports. Y i

19. ln a device of the character described, l Viitnesses:

I ANNA E. S'inINBooK,

the combination with longitudinally extend- DANIEL WEBSTER, Jr.

ing :ingle irons secured together and having a support, blocks of insulating material se- 21. In a device of the character described, Y 

